After the massive success of Kabir Singh, Kiara Advani is ready to rock the box office again with four big banner films lined up for next year - Good News, Laxmmi Bomb, Shershaah and Indoo Ki Jawaani. She has come a long way from her debut in Fugly, to her critically acclaimed performance in Lust Stories. As Kiara turns 27, here are 7 things you probably didn’t know about the actor.
1. Kiara Advani is actually Aaliya Advani!
She recently revealed that none other than superstar Salman Khan asked her to change her real first name because of Alia Bhatt. Kiara made the confession in an episode of Voot's Feet Up with the Stars Season 2.
“Aaliya is my first name. Salman Khan suggested me to change it because of Alia Bhatt because there can’t be two actresses with the same name in Bollywood. He suggested the change, but ‘Kiara’ is the name that I chose. Now even my parents have started to call me Kiara,”Kiara Advani
2. PeeCee Inspired the Name ‘Kiara’
The one who inspired ‘Aaliya’ Advani’s choice of her new name was none other than Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra. “When I entered the industry, Alia Bhatt was already an established superstar. So, I decided to change my name from Alia to Kiara Advani which was inspired by Priyanka Chopra’s character from the film, Anjaana Anjaani,” said Kiara.
The Kabir Singh actor also confessed how she, at one point, considered saving the name for her future daughter. “Right from her accent to her style, everything inspired me to use that name. I would love to use the same name for my daughter in the future but I then thought that it was best to use the name, ‘Kiara’ for myself and establish the same in the industry,” she added.
3. Kiara Has a Really Diverse Ancestry!
Kiara’s ancestral background is truly global and diverse! She was born to Jagdeep Advani, a businessman of Sindhi background, and Genevieve Jaffrey, who is from Punjabi, Scottish, Irish, Portuguese and Spanish ancestry. Bit confusing, isn’t it?
4. The Actor Holds a Mass Communications Degree
Kiara Advani completed her schooling from The Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai and even scored a good 92 percent in her 12th standard board exams! She holds a Mass Communications degree from Jai Hind College and also did acting courses before entering into films.
5. Bollywood Connection? Of course!
Kiara is not really an outsider for the industry as she is related to several celebrities via her maternal family. Actors Ashok Kumar and Saeed Jaffrey are her step-great-grandfather and great-uncle, respectively, whereas model Shaheen Jaffrey and actor Juhi Chawla are her aunts. We bet you didn’t know this!
6. Best Friends with Isha Ambani
When Isha Ambani got engaged to Anand Piramal, Kiara Advani shared a collage of childhood photographs of the two, revealing their childhood friendship. The pictures are as adorable as it can get!
“There are some special people who are a part of your life and you grow up with. My oldest friend, still as caring, as humble and as amazing as you were when we first met! My to be bridey, Ishu never ever let the child in you grow up,” she wrote on Instagram.
7. Tried Her Hand at Telugu Cinema Too!
After doing three films in Bollywood, Kiara Advani also tried her hand at Telugu cinema and debuted with Bharat Ane Nenu opposite Mahesh Babu. “For sure it is going to help me widen my market in terms of the audience. I would be able to reach out to a much larger audience, not just north, but south too,” she said. She did another film with Ram Charan and made her mark in regional cinema too.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)